With the sole exception of Laura, all people entering my room (including doctors and nurses) had to wear masks and gloves. Appropriately, Mom arrived on the morning of my stem cell transplant, March 25, which many SCT folks call their second birthday because of the all-new immune system (PIC).

Mom was a huge help, spelling Laura on occasion and helping out with random chores like laundry. But the intangibles of having your mom around when going through a life-changing experience cannot be overstated (PIC).

The actual transplant was uneventful—it took just 45 minutes to get the microscopic little buggers back (PIC). There were four clear bags of pure CD34 stem cells that were infused. It took longer to switch the bags than to get the cells. Interestingly, the preservative used on the stem cells makes you smell like corn. And in case you were wondering, I felt no different with the new stem cells (not that I expected to).